By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee The brutality theatre that the terrorist group known as Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL) is applying to the powerless victims in its grasp has been truly breathtaking to behold. Some fine reporting, notably by Graeme…
Halt drone strikes, say faith leaders
By Bob Allen One of more than 150 religious leaders who drafted a statement opposing the use of lethal drones by the United States military said Feb. 11 it’s an issue that more Baptists should care about. Carol Blythe, past…
1914 Christmas truce inspires debate, hope for peace in modern times
By Jeff Brumley The Christmas Truce of 1914 has been called heart-warming, inspiring and even miraculous. But could it ever be called repeatable? The historic event occurred on Christmas Day that year during World War I, when German and Allied…
Activists reflect on Baptist peacemaking in wake of Stassen death
By Jeff Brumley The term “Baptist peacemaking” conjures up images of President Jimmy Carter observing elections on troubled continents. For others it means human rights activists brokering peace deals between warring factions in Africa or the Middle East. But it…
Glen Stassen, Baptist peacemaker, dead at 78
By Bob Allen Glen Stassen, an evangelical peace activist who taught Christian ethics more than 50 years, died April 26 in Pasadena, Calif., months after being diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Stassen, 78, the Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian…
Nelson Mandela: Peace wager
By Alan Rudnick As the world reacts to the death of Nelson Mandela, we cannot help but read and understand his amazing history of peace. Fighting against injustice and apartheid in South Africa were his notable achievements, but Mandela did…
Churches take on Palestinian issue
By Bob Allen Promoting peacemaking in the local church can be tricky when broaching conflicts about which people disagree, panelists advised Baptists in Washington, D.C., attending a Nov. 8-10 conference on “Waging Peace in Palestine and Israel” sponsored by the…
US Baptist joins Kenya peacemaking cause
By Ken Camp A Baptist minister on faculty at a Catholic university recently participated in an international peacemaking initiative in western Kenya. Aaron Tyler, chair of the international relations graduate program at St. Mary’s University, joined an effort to help…